New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-02
ROBBER CUMMINGS TALKS.
ASSERTING FoTHERINGHAMs INNoCENCI
WHY HE TOOK TIE EMPRESS COMPANN's MONEY
MS METHoDS-HIS TRIP down THE
NIesnI.nI-IuL HI-EIED ILIlLE.

| WHY HE TOOK TIE ENPlESS COMPANY MpNLf -
| HIS METHoDs-HIs TRIP DowN THE
| MssoUH-rHE BURIED LETTER.
ST. Lorrs. Jan tSpeciab.-Thl, morning Robert
| A. Pinkerton and superintendent Dlmscl. oi the
| Adams Express Company having in charge Fred"
| Wit;rock. arrived from Kansas city, and As
i.tantSupcrinicndcnt Robertson. Of the finkcrton
Agency brought tho accomplcc. Weaver. from Chicago
was pretty well known that Pinkcrton was on his way
TO this city with wtrock aud when the train arrived
| there a large curious crowd at the station
anxious 10 catch glimpse Of "Jim Cummings
Mr. Pmkcrion and hs prisoner followed by Mr. pan'el
entcrcfa carriage aud drove 10 the Four Courts where
the oncr was delivered TO Jall1r sicgmund and
"Jini Cummings" at last placed behind the bars
Robertson also took his prisoner 10 the Fonr Courts
whore he was given into the custody OF the local police
| and Immediately placed In jail
After giving the prisoners Ia Lio police NJ
Pnkcrton talked freely about his connection with Tho
case and said: We have nearly completed tho work
now turned mp the larger part OF the mon cy
| about $4,000 Therels st 5000 or $500 ont aud
we xpcct the greater part OF H. My brother
Billy and Of agents are looking that mp nov
So you the express company IA not very heavy loser
after all. The major portion OF the money va, found
| under Oscar Cooks house. IIc accessory after
the fact aud II convicted made 10 serve good
term In prison. Mrs nght knew nothing ~ the robbery
until after done aud she hIs not even been arrest
I'd. wittrock and Halsht did tho PLANNING Weaver
weakened the last moment He 10 riio on tho
platform Of the express car AMI was To give warn
ing OF any approaching danger, hut he backed out Witt
rock however. had to put mp $1,000 Ia induce HIM Ia
keep his mouth shut All that money has been recovered
except few dollars which lie spent"
TsTmE TRBsE correspondent Wittrock stated that he
had ~ ale pledges to detectives that he would not
talk on certain points OF the but outside Of these
would answer question: He then said
Nv true name Is Fred wittrock. am wcntysiN years
old single. aud robbed that car alone The messenger.
Fothcrmghain Il Innocent Dan Morariy, aswitchnia,
was one OF the first asked 10 assist me. but when
tho time came he failed Then asked weaver whose
acquaintance had made In Chicago and he agreed and
We came 10 ~ Louis week before the robbery when =,
Chicago then TO the depot and did the work alone
g6t OF the train NJ crossing Pacific walked nine
mites the Missouri River. whero had boat and pro
night sand bar and got the rheumatism The boat
hed Gnay and walked 50"ndSncd St pe,sr. sesr
where took tho train for Louisiana. Mo.
| cut OF my mustache and went 10 Kansas
CITY, where remained nyo weeks. ! have written only
three letters the papers The 00b DcmOcrdt and
one TO Ihe R.% % ana another Th,G Sr ~Toir nn5 tq5
with instructions 10 friend TO mail It, sec II published
to-day.
did not expect get 10000 Ny reason for rob
bng the company was To get money 10 iiit mortgage on
my mother ho-c. She mUftgagcd her home for p.1oO
to start IN the coal business In Chicago ara ,hc hs-
was not profitable enough TO Keep me ana pay the
mortgage. am not going TO say anything that would
nplcatc these other men We were hll pack 81 boys
aud not I'm the party has ever been In jail The PIN
kcrtons have treated splenddly and determined 10
make a rcstitniion Of all that coill
The robbers eyes arc weak and afflicted with nervous
disorder that keeps them continually moving In their
sockets has also deormy of the spine that throws
his head 10 LEFT side. The letter dated December
and published to-day was written as Wtrock says, to
establish Fotheringhnm's innocence IL was found
buried In graveyard In Kansas CITY with some of the
pundcr. He writes:
Now viii tell You. Mr. Editor. how II that Fothcr
ngbam TO be tied with silk handkerchief Instead
II strap or tviuo when the job first put up had
Ngi
that road and found out that his name was Hart
George Joe. forget which Now. on the wednesday
night before the Monday night which the robbery took
place / was all ready rush the letters that man
Hart, hut tho porter stayed In tue ear until
the train wns In motion. Il | didn't have
q chance 10 try the letter The mex, night would
his name and Friday my partner began to wenken aud
tried 10 stf9n im nP but It Wa VIZ no no us 49, haa no & as,
To run the chances Of his discovering that the letters wcro
police In that If was nabpc'l. simply intended
10 act though was only trying I" beat my way to
letter made up ordering the messenger on the Fort scott
md Gulf route to pass me from Springfield to Kansas
nxcd ready u mans hands aud good gun II would 90
rather hard with me % explain Why | had the strap |
you the public believe II don't care very much, /
a. 16o Isg g oG nd his say sarS % as"c h him .%y
hut I'll just say the following anyhow: had always
that this earth and All things upon iiand SIM
believe that such Power exists and hereby declare
that hope that That Power or supreme BEING mabar
ayzc me IN every limb In my body and make ~ balance
Of my HE on mis- earth one Of everlasting pain II lhht
man, David FOthcrngham the messenger, Is not in0
cent of connection In guilty manner with the train
robbery which occurred October o. 1886 Ia his car
on the II. Louis aud ran Francisco Railway.
FOUR HEN PERISH IN RAILROAD WRECG.
SAN ASToSIo, Tex, Jan. 1.-Ieports have reached
here OF serious accident which occurred last night on
the Southern Pacific Railroad Devils River about
300 miles west OF san Antonio collision occurred In
deep cut between construction train and u regular
freight Many frcightaden were wrecked aNd
afterwari burncl. Four white on the consrctios
.llSIiii Ilc hIiru n,xra L